Welcome to Canada: What you should know

Basic services

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• Citizenship and Immigration Canada website and Call Centre
• Finding newcomer services in your area
• Settlement services
• Settlement Program
• Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada
• Government services

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Citizenship and Immigration Canada website and Call Centre

The Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website can be found at www.cic.gc.ca. It provides:

• general information about immigration and citizenship programs and services;
• general information about your application (check Application Status);
• applications and information kits that are easy to download (find an Application Form or Guide); and
• help with fee calculations (Application Fee Calculator).

If you do not have access to the Internet, you can get the same information by contacting the CIC Call Centre:

• In Canada, call toll-free: 1‑888‑242‑2100.
• If you are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing, or you have a speech impediment and use a text telephone, you can access the TTY service from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (local time) by calling 1‑888‑576‑8502 (in Canada only).

To obtain information on your application over the telephone, you will need your immigration client identification (ID) number.

An automated telephone service is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day. You can listen to prerecorded information on many citizenship and immigration programs. If you have a touch-tone telephone, using the automated service is simple.

Here’s how it works:

1. A recorded message will tell you to press 1 or 2 to select English or French.
2. The recorded message will list a “menu” to choose the information you need. Press the star [*] key if you need to repeat the message.
3. During normal business hours (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time) anywhere in Canada, you can press 0 to speak with a Call Centre agent.
4. After you press 0, choose 1 if your question is about citizenship or 2 if your question is about immigration.

Finding newcomer services in your area

Canada has hundreds of organizations that help newcomers settle into life in Canada. Many of them represent a number of different multicultural agencies and associations, so they can help you in several ways. They may provide language training, or help you find housing or look for a job. They may also provide support for women, children and families who are dealing with domestic violence. Some of these organizations can provide these services in English, in French or in your first language, which may be helpful in the first few months. You can find the addresses and telephone numbers of many of these organizations on the Services for Newcomers page of the Citizenship and Immigration website at www.servicesfornewcomers.cic.gc.ca.

Settlement services

Settlement services, funded by CIC, are provided in English and French and sometimes in other languages by school boards, community colleges and immigrant-serving organizations to newcomers throughout Canada. Through agreements with CIC, British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec are responsible for the design, delivery and administration of settlement services, all with the goal of helping newcomers succeed and participate in Canadian society. This guide does not cover provincial services. You may wish to refer to the provinces’ websites for further information on settlement programs and services to newcomers. Religious institutions, community groups, ethnic associations and immigrant-serving organizations that can give you a hand are probably located right in your neighbourhood. Their telephone numbers can be found in the local telephone book or on the Internet.

Settlement Program

The federal government’s Settlement Program is designed to:

• help you with immediate settlement needs;
• refer you to economic, social, health, cultural, educational and recreational services;
• provide you with information on everyday matters such as banking, shopping and managing a household;
• contribute interpretation and translation services when necessary; and
• provide you with services related to employment.

Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada

LINC is a federal government program for adult immigrants that is designed to:

• assess your level of English or French through LINC assessment centres;
• refer you to an appropriate LINC training provider through the assessment centres;
• provide you, through school boards, colleges and community organizations, with full-time, part-time, evening, weekend and other classes based on your needs; and
• provide you with transportation and child-minding services when necessary.

*Note : Comparable programs and services are offered in Manitoba, British Columbia and Quebec under different names.

Government services

The main telephone numbers for federal, provincial, and municipal or regional government departments are listed in the blue pages of your local telephone book. Some are listed by department or by service. Frequently called numbers, including a central information number, are often listed at the beginning of each section.

If you need help to find a federal government program or service, call Information or the Government of Canada toll-free number at 1‑800‑O‑Canada (1‑800‑622‑6232). If you wish to use the Internet, the address is www.canada.gc.ca.

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